Alberta receives top marks from Conference Board

By
The Canadian Press

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An oilsands facility seen from a helicopter near Fort McMurray, Alta., on July 10, 2012. Environmental groups are giving Alberta's energy regulator a rare pat on the back over its decision to delay approvals for certain types of oilsands projects over concerns about the intensity of development.

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In a new twist for the Conference Board’s annual report card, the 10 provinces are treated as if they were countries to create a picture of not only the internal disparities but also how the provinces compare globally.

The report places Alberta, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland — the three oil producing provinces — in that order as the top performers with A-plus scores across indicators such as per capita income, economic growth, unemployment and productivity.

They are the only jurisdictions rated to have A-plus economies.

At the bottom of the class are Nova Scotia and New Brunswick with D grades, along with countries such as France and Belgium.

Ontario, Prince Edward Island and British Columbia score B grades, putting them alongside Switzerland, Germany and the United